We Secure LA cybersecurity outreach team sponsors annual Cybersecurity Awareness Citywide contest.
Last November, Information Technology Agency again hosted its Cybersecurity Month, ending with a contest to crown the winners of the annual contest.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CAM) is an international initiative that educates everyone about online safety and empowers individuals and businesses to protect their data from cybercrime. Founded in 2004, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held each October, is the world’s foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations, tribal communities, and individuals committed to educating others about online safety.
Cybersecurity at ITA
The We Secure LA program falls under the Governance Group of the ITA Information Security Office. The program is managed by Dean Victoria. Among other things, the program provides cybersecurity training and awareness to the City of LA (except LAPD and the proprietary departments: Airports, Harbor and LADWP). The program trains more than 20,000 employees.
ITA and Cybersecurity Month
The We Secure LA Team has been participating in the CAM since 2019. During the month, ITA focuses on changing behaviors for employees to follow to stay secure and keep the City of Los Angeles secure. Last year, the program touched on the following behaviors:
-
- using strong passwords
- enabling Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
- identifying phishing emails
- updating software for employee devices, and
- learning about privacy and security relating to Artificial Intelligence
The program incorporated different types of communications to train and educate City employees during this month, including: newsletters, phishing simulation emails, surveys, presentations, videos, etc. For the presentations, the program brought in presenters from the National Cybersecurity Alliance, Proofpoint, USSS and CISA.
City employee participation in the program in 2024 rose 25 percent over the previous year.
Ceremony
The CAM month culminated with the CAM Ceremony event, held Wed., Nov. 20. As employees participated in the different activities (presentations, phishing simulation emails, watching videos, etc.), they earned points. Depending on the number of points, they could earn gold, silver or bronze badges. Prizes, bought with donations from ITA managers, were raffled to employees depending on the badge that they earned. If they earned a gold badge, they had a chance to participate in a raffle of big-price items including: laptops, AirPods Pro, and Beats headphones. Lower badges got gift cards.
ITA promoted participation not only from regular employees, but from employees who help the department push its yearly cybersecurity training completion into other departments. Last year, ITA recognized three of these employees with letters of commendation for going above and beyond of what was required of them. Multiple departments participated, including: Library, Emergency Management, Civil and Human Rights, Personnel, Finance, City Attorney, and of course ITA. General Managers from Civil and Human Rights, ITA, Personnel, and a Principal Librarian from the Library promoted the program and the contest.
ITA General Manager and Chief Information Officer Ted Ross, Club Member, hosted the ceremony. Other leaders at the ceremony included Capri Maddox, General Manager, Civil and Human Rights, Club Member; Grayce Liu, Interim General Manager, Personnel; and Anne Bowman, Principal Librarian, Library. Special thanks were given to the ITA Managers who donated for the CAM prizes, and to all participants for demonstrating the value of teamwork and community.
The identities of contest winners and participants are not being named by Alive! at their request, due to the sensitivities of their cybersecurity work tasks.
Moving Forward
Since Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024, the ITA We Secure LA Team has been holding ongoing and productive discussions on how to push the Human Firewall forward in this age as the City continues to face evolving cybersecurity threats head-on. Suggestions from CAM 2024 are being considered.
The Club thanks Cesar Alvarado, ITA, for contributing this valuable information and photos.
